Mooring or anchorage near Venice Florida?

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by mpraizner

I am new to the forum and Florida. My wife and I are purchasing an Oday 34 with a 4'7" draft and sailing it from Bradenton south to Burnt Store Marina (Punta Gorda) where we now live. My initial thoughts were to make it a two day trip sailing south (outside) in the gulf and stopping in Venice overnite. So far the only dockage I can find is Crows Nest Marina at $100 a nite. Can anyone provide information about mooring or anchorage sites in the area? I am open to any advice from those with experience in these waters. Thanks

Congrats on the purchase! My first boat was a 1984 O'day 34, and I regret selling her just about *every* day. So many adventures, such a great boat. Have a blast!

n

[Wmiii]

We usually anchor just South of the Blackburn Point swing bridge in Blackburn Bay. Just pull over to the West side in the charted 5' water near Green 21 and drop the hook.
We stopped at the 'Free' dock for years and ate at Crows Nest, walked to town etc, but now no longer stop in Venice.

[marlinmike]

That $100 will seem cheap if that untested anchor drags in the middle of the night.

[mpraizner]

Thanks to all for your feedback

[bifurcation]

I would like to follow up on this message. I'm sailing north toward Venice and would like to pretty much follow the same course in the opposite direction. I'm single handing so generally like to avoid crowded marinas and tight anchorages. Is this area described along the eastern shore of Boca Grande a mile north of the entrance pretty good anchorage? I'm assuming it is west of the ICW where the chart shows a m. tower. "Boca Grande pass, you can spend the night in either the village at Boca Grande or in Pelican Bay, on the south side of the pass. Alternately, if the winds are westerly, north-westerly (check Passage Weather before you leave Venice), in settled weather you can anchor fairly comfortably along the eastern shore of Boca Grande, about a mile north of the pass itself." Please confirm and/or if there are additional or better protected anchorage spots in that general area that someone could recommend as a more desirable or secondary anchorage it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by bifurcation

I would like to follow up on this message. I'm sailing north toward Venice and would like to pretty much follow the same course in the opposite direction. I'm single handing so generally like to avoid crowded marinas and tight anchorages. Is this area described along the eastern shore of Boca Grande a mile north of the entrance pretty good anchorage? I'm assuming it is west of the ICW where the chart shows a m. tower. "Boca Grande pass, you can spend the night in either the village at Boca Grande or in Pelican Bay, on the south side of the pass. Alternately, if the winds are westerly, north-westerly (check Passage Weather before you leave Venice), in settled weather you can anchor fairly comfortably along the eastern shore of Boca Grande, about a mile north of the pass itself." Please confirm and/or if there are additional or better protected anchorage spots in that general area that someone could recommend as a more desirable or secondary anchorage it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

One can anchor approximately 1 mile north of Boca Grande Pass in 7-10' of water without difficulty in settled weather, preferably with westerly winds prevailing. Note, however, that, at this time of year, there is a lot of fishing boat activity in the Pass and adjacent waters and those fishing are not too inclined to move to accommodate a passing yacht nor to slow down so as not to "wake" an anchored boat. Traffic out of the village of Boca Grande itself can be quite heavy.

A better alternative is the anchorage in Pelican Bay, on the south side of the pass. The entrance channel there can be somewhat challenging near low tide and depending upon one's draft. It is doable, however, with up to 6' or so. Note that members of Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club have surveyed the channel and anchorage at Pelican and can provide you with a sketch chart and waypoints for a modest contribution, I believe something on the order of $5.00. It's worth the investment.

As for the Pass itself, try to take it at slack water. Wind against tide there can be very problematic.

You might click over to ActiveCaptain.com and use the interactive chart to obtain further information. If you haven't already, you'll need to register with the site, but that's free and the information is quite valuable.

FWIW...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, bifurcation.

[bifurcation]

Many thanks! My draft is 4'-8". I would like a place to get a good nights sleep, morning coffee and/or wait out the weather if need be and sail into Venice (jetty) with daylight. It looks like Venice is almost a slow days sail from that general area. I will take a good look at the chart for Pelican Bay. Would that be a good place I could careen my boat? I bottom cleaned once since I left Charleston but noticed the barnacles seem to like my prop better in warmer waters than when I'm in North or South Carolina. Thanks!

[tinkrman69]

Originally Posted by bifurcation

I would like to follow up on this message. I'm sailing north toward Venice and would like to pretty much follow the same course in the opposite direction. I'm single handing so generally like to avoid crowded marinas and tight anchorages. Is this area described along the eastern shore of Boca Grande a mile north of the entrance pretty good anchorage? I'm assuming it is west of the ICW where the chart shows a m. tower. "Boca Grande pass, you can spend the night in either the village at Boca Grande or in Pelican Bay, on the south side of the pass. Alternately, if the winds are westerly, north-westerly (check Passage Weather before you leave Venice), in settled weather you can anchor fairly comfortably along the eastern shore of Boca Grande, about a mile north of the pass itself." Please confirm and/or if there are additional or better protected anchorage spots in that general area that someone could recommend as a more desirable or secondary anchorage it would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hi, I sail this route fairly often from Marathon and back. I single hand also. I'm a might lazy and usually sail straight to the bottlon of Sanabele island, unless I decide to stay for a while, then I go into matanzas pass and moore or anchor. other wise I anchor...depending on wind direction and speed...either to the west end of the bridge near sanabele or to the east side just north of the Matanza pass channel, for a rest. About 16 to 18 hours from weighing anchor to dropping anchor. sometimes things are a little slow and I go in at Marco. I do the same, sailing outside to Venice In 12 to 16 hours depending on the wind. I usually average 5 t 6 knots over ground. I know many who break that first leg, by stopping at little shark river. I've only gone there as a hurricane hole. I've found anchoring outside on the west coast with any thing over ten knots from the NNW to SSW is fairly uncomfortable, as the seas seem to be on the beam quite often. I can handle a little chop, but I don't like to roll. If I need to cut the legs shorter I go into Boca grande pass and anchor just to the north behind Gasparilla Island, then I'm 6 to 8 hours anchor to anchor. I try to stay out of the inter coastal as I don't like to motor. I have anchored off the Jetties at Venice for a night...one side or the other depending on the wave action...when I don't plan to visit any one. But you can anchor just inside north of the Hawks nest marina or with your size boat going around the bend to the north you can anchor stem and stern off the Yacht club. turn tight around the point and follow along the seawall and docks and anchor betwixt the shoal and the yacht club. there are some other boats anchored a little further up, but the water gets a little skinny. there is a boat ramp past the yacht club with a dock you can dinghy to, to make land. They say no over night docking and I've only stayed there till around midnight but have had no trouble with authority. I do try to stay respectful. The shoal breaks up the wake from the inter coastal traffic and I've stayed as long as two month there. 32 foot with 5 foot draft is about as big as I would go there. I haven't gone back that far in a couple years ...sense I got this boat. But i still anchor off the Hawks nest for up to a week whilst visiting friends.

There is a book " the great book of anchorages" i think is the name and also online with Actiive Captain. they both have a lot of info on anchorages and where to make land. I've made use of some of the anchorages but many require too much motoring and are too shallow for my draft, But I've found their descriptions accurate and not disappointing.

I grew up along this coast and have explored it quit a bit. So I usually am heading to Cretan places to visit friends and family. after the interstate came through in the mid to late 70"s it has lost some of its luster to me, altho there are still some nice quaint places along the west coast of Florida, that haven't been paved over and condo-ized.

Hope this helps you, good beam winds to ya.
Lance

[tinkrman69]

This coast isn't good for "careening " a vessel what with muddy bottoms and 2 foot or less tide average and boat traffic causing wake, making it a might hazardous. If you can't dive your prop there are other boaters and services that can do it for you. I use a hooka to clean my bottom. It was a good 250 dollar investment. It's actually paid for itself. The waters a might merky at times at pelican, but clear off the jetties at Venice and the boat traffic wake will be off shore past the end of the jetties.

[bifurcation]

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I'm looking forward to getting up to Venice.

[bifurcation]

I sailed up to Venice from Port Charlotte and was a pleasant sail. In addition to the anchorages already mentioned, I anchored a little north of Venice Inlet in about 7 feet of water north of day-beacon 3 and 5, between Snake Island and Casey Key. The current is very strong in that area compared to the anchorage between the yacht club and the park. However, the water is clear so I used a life line when diving under to inspect the bottom. Also, there is a sand bar that comes off of Snake Island so be cautious. Boats do anchor out in front of the yacht club but some were in the channel due to the shallow depths in Roberts Bay so I passed with my 4'-8" draft. It's too bad there are not more places to anchor as what's not to like in Venice. It's about a 3/4 mile walk to the town from the park where you can leave your dingy or just dock depending on boat size if there's space available. There are many good restaurants in Venice and it's a very pleasant/safe walk to town. The beach is just south of the Venice Inlet jetty and very accessible. Nice stop!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by FSMike

The Crows Nest restaurant is great!

+1. One of my favorirte stops in the area. Though I dont recall dockage there being so spendy when I lived in SW FL, but man I remember the pub and resturant! :thumbup:

[Chotu]

Digging up this old one.

Does anybody have any current knowledge on going ashore in Venice? Taking the dinghy in?

Good spots to land the dinghy for about 4 hours?

Apparently, the Higel Marine Park has a 20 minute tie up limit? Or is that just for people launching their boats? And you could just put a dinghy off to the side for a few hours?